On Sunday, August 17, 2025, Paul Goldschmidt returned to Busch Stadium as a member of the New York Yankees. The 37-year-old first baseman played six seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals after joining them in 2019. During that time, he won a Gold Glove Award, a Silver Slugger Award, and was named the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player. He received MVP votes in four of his six years in St. Louis.
Goldschmidt became a fan-favorite and a leader in the Cardinals organization. Before his first at-bat on Sunday, he received a standing ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd.
- Paul Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI in his first start back at Busch Stadium as a Yankee.
- His third hit of the day gave him 2,169 career hits, moving him past former teammate Yadier Molina.
- The Yankees beat the Cardinals 8-4, completing a three-game sweep as Goldschmidt bounced back from a knee injury.
Three Hits and a Historic Milestone
Starting at first base for the Yankees, Goldschmidt went 3-for-5 with one run scored and one RBI. His third hit of the day was the 2,169th of his career, moving him past former Cardinals teammate Yadier Molina on the all-time hit list.
“Baseball doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme: Paul Goldschmidt’s third hit of the day in his first start back at Busch Stadium against his former team, the Cardinals, was the 2,169 of his career,” Goldschmidt said. “That passes former STL teammate Yadier Molina on the career hit list.”
Goldschmidt had missed time earlier in the week with a sprained right knee injury, which initially raised concerns that he could be placed on the injured list. He entered Friday’s game as a defensive replacement at first base, a move Yankees manager Aaron Boone admitted he was reluctant to make. By Sunday, he was cleared to start and responded with a pair of doubles and a strong offensive performance.
“Obviously for us to get the win, for me to get a couple hits, it was good,” Goldschmidt said. “I tried not to, but definitely it was a little bit in the back of my mind. But you just go play. I knew there was no extra added risk to playing. So just go play and try to play well.”
“I really wasn’t worried about the knee,” he continued. “But there’s this weird subconscious when you had hurt something or your body maybe wants to test it out a little bit. I’d hit fine, I’d done defense, but to get out there and play nine, it was good. I wouldn’t have told Booney and them I was ready if I thought I was going to jeopardize our team or even myself.”
Boone summarized the showing by saying, “That’s classic Goldie right there. He flashed it today.”
Goldschmidt’s performance also coincided with movement in the betting market. His home run prop was listed between +600 and +630 at major sportsbooks on Tuesday. In the same period, the Yankees’ game lines against the Tampa Bay Rays shifted from an opening number near -135 to around -142 by first pitch, with totals moving between 8 and 8.5 runs. New York’s World Series futures, which stood at +850 on August 1, lengthened to +1400 by August 18 and tightened back to about +1000 on August 19. Caesars posted the Yankees at +960, while FanDuel and BetMGM listed prices between +1000 and +1200. Experts at outlets including Action Network and the New York Post highlighted the Yankees’ early-game moneyline as a focus during this stretch.
Yankees Secure 8-4 Win and Sweep
The Yankees’ 8-4 victory on Sunday completed a three-game sweep of the Cardinals. It was their fifth win in six games, while St. Louis extended its losing streak to five games.
New York starter Will Warren pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits. He struck out three and walked one. Reliever Luke Weaver improved to 3-3 with the win. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas allowed three runs on four hits and five walks in five innings, striking out one. JoJo Romero took the loss, dropping to 4-5.
The Yankees scored three runs in the fourth inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked, advanced to third on Goldschmidt’s double, and scored on Jasson Dominguez’s infield single. Ryan McMahon and Jose Caballero added RBI singles.
The Cardinals responded in the bottom half. Ivan Herrera reached on an error, Jordan Walker walked, and Thomas Saggese hit a two-run double. In the fifth inning, Lars Nootbaar singled, advanced to second on an error, and scored on Alec Burleson’s RBI single to tie the game.
Yohel Pozo hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to give St. Louis a 4-3 lead. The Yankees tied it in the seventh when Trent Grisham walked, advanced to third on Aaron Judge’s single, and scored on Cody Bellinger’s sacrifice fly.
In the ninth inning, Caballero reached on a two-base error and moved to third on a passed ball. Giancarlo Stanton walked as a pinch hitter, Judge was intentionally walked, and Bellinger’s ground ball through the right side was ruled an error that allowed two runs to score. Chisholm’s grounder drove in another run, and Goldschmidt doubled to bring in one more, extending the lead to 8-4.
Ejections, Injuries, and Team Notes
Third base umpire Vic Carapazza ejected Yankees catching coach Tanner Swanson in the fourth inning after multiple players protested a called third strike to Trent Grisham. Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas stepped off the mound and pointed toward the Yankees’ dugout before the ejection. In the seventh inning, home plate umpire Nic Lentz ejected Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol for arguing balls and strikes.
Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar left the game after seven innings due to cramping. For the Yankees, Jonathan Loáisiga began a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, throwing 16 pitches in a scoreless inning. Fernando Cruz made his second rehab appearance in the same game, allowing two runs in one inning while throwing 20 pitches. Amed Rosario participated in defensive work before Sunday’s game and is expected to be activated from the injured list when eligible.
